During hundreds of years, an incredible mix of religion, languages and tradition took place, a bit of genetic stepped in and today Madagascar has a society remarkable in its uniformity of language and beliefs.
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Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, about the size of France (or Texas, if you like). Because it has been isolated from the Africa for millions of years, many new species have evolved on Madagascar: some 80 percent of the animals found in Madagascar do not exist anywhere else on Earth. The interesting fact is that there are almost no predators on the island, Homo sapiens excluded. It is literally a land that time forgot and that what makes it so special.
Around 2,000 years ago, the first members of humans arrived on Madagascar and today it is believed that they came from India, nearby Africa and Arabia. Imagine a land with rainforests, strange creatures that looks like monkey but they aren't, very small hippos, huge tortoises, three metres tall elephant birds, and all in all more that 100 exotic species that can't be seen anywhere else. Many of those creatures fell as victims of humans but it is still possible to find thousand-year old eggs of strange birds.
Some may think that tribes are main characteristics of the Malagasy, the people of Madagascar, but it's not true. The Malagasy are of Afro-Indonesian origin, divided into 18 tribes but over time they grouped on the shore and in the inland, and today they are divided geographically, not in tribes.
Surprisingly to many other nations, the African, Indian, and Arabic races managed to avoid segregation. During hundreds of years, an incredible mix of religion, languages and tradition took place, a bit of genetic stepped in and today Madagascar has a society remarkable in its uniformity of language and beliefs.
Malagasy lived happily for hundreds of years and then, naturally, European explorers (Portuguese, to be precise) came on the island of Madagascar, stayed for a while and left. Although it can't be call the discovery, French and England hear about that touristic trip and rushed to stab their flags in the soil of newly discovered island. "Savage tribes" united and from 1500 to 1883 the strong European forces were unable to conquer even the nearest beach. Malagasy were very good warriors, indeed. When French finally enter the serious war, it took them three years to conquer the united tribes and Madagascar became a French colony.
As a proof that there are good men on the planet, when Charles De Gaulle became the French President in 1958, he immediately granted Madagascar its independence. The locals renamed their nation the Malagasy Republic. Madagascar, with its many quiet coves and its location neat to the Indian Ocean trade routes, was a fantastic place for many of the fiercest pirates that ever sailed. Tales of buried treasure and stories about pirates have become a part of the national folklore.
Madagascar has more than 1,800 miles of beautiful beaches, which is good for tourists, but its greatest attractions are unique wildlife. For example, lemurs are primates and they are found wild only in Madagascar. The best known lemurs are the nocturnal dwarf lemurs, no bigger than a mouse, the agile sifaka, which leaps 30 feet or more from branch to branch, and the babakoto, "indri", the largest living lemur, most easily seen in the Analamazaotra Reserve.
The legend tells about a hunter who went to the forest but he didn't return. After some time, his worried son decided to go to jungle to find him. He also disappeared and the people from the village went into the forest to find their friends and return them home. But instead of them, they discovered two large lemurs sitting in the trees - the first Indri. Somehow the father and the son had transformed into creatures that protected the forest until our days.
The island if full of rare birds, too. Five families of birds are endemic to Madagascar, and you simply must see the marvellous vangas, the couas, the beautiful crested coua, the Coracidae, birds of prey, such as eagles, falcons, and owls. When you see - hear - more than 70 species of singing birds, you'll start to believe that you are in heaven. Flora is another spectacular part of Madagascar. The island has the richest floras in the world with more than 10,000 species of plants, and more than 80 percent of which are endemic to the island.
If you intend to visit Madagascar be prepared for many travels. You will be able to see just a little part of the island, and you'll return again and again... And that's why Madagascar is as close to Heaven on Earth as it can be. ■
